As a child, one is shown the ways from their parents footsteps, for me being raised in a Christian household was challenging to say the least. One can say that this generation is unlike the others, where the world is filled with social media, cultural acceptance, different beliefs and values. Accepting the lord and savior into my life at such a young age was difficult to establish a strong relationship with God. In high school, you are in ways positioned in situations in which you are facing the devil by people that are surrounding you, by social interactions, and many worldly ideas. I took some time after high school to really reconstruct my ways of living. During COVID, I was given the opportunity to be more involved with the church, spend time with my loved ones and build a firm foundation in my Christian life.
In a world that’s not experiencing enough love, mercy, and justice, mission trips allow me to participate in God’s plan to redeem and restore the whole earth by serving our neighbors in need. There are real needs around the world that we as followers of Jesus have the opportunity to help address most effectively by coming alongside amazing local ministries with a vision to serve and impact their local communities. We call this type of humble, self-sacrificial service “being a tangible picture of God’s love.”
Life-changing mission trips are about serving with “open hands” — ready to give as well as receive. While we all understand the importance of meeting tangible needs, what does it look like to receive? We think it has a lot to do with our attitude and posture. When we come with open ears and open hearts to hear what God may be revealing to us during the trip, we can allow the people we meet to challenge and change us for the better.
